Captains Corner: Reefs producing sizable fish but it takes patience

Good fishing: Kingfish remain available on many of the offshore reefs. Live bait has been the most productive, combined with lighter leader material. Target the big mackerel in 50 to 80 feet of water.

Mangrove snapper: They are showing up in great numbers because of their annual spawn. Their appetite will be quite large during the next few months, allowing anglers to capitalize on their aggressiveness. Chumming near artificial reefs will lure them under the boat.

Bottom fishing: Grouper and red snapper are not as plentiful as last year. You can still catch nice fish, but it requires more work. Chum works well on these bottom dwellers, too. If the red grouper don't attack the baits within 10 minutes, pick up and move. Sometimes we hit 15 spots in a single day to get our limit. A few big red snapper are being taken in the same areas as red grouper. Their numbers are not as great in 80- to 90-foot depths, but their size is quite impressive. We landed fish up to 12 pounds last week. A few gag grouper also have been caught in these same areas.

Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 439-2628 or see www.jawstoo.com.